DIANE MAKAR MURPHY Volunteers make it their mission to help troops in Iraq

Twenty-eight-year-old Jeffrey Stine created 200 greeting cards to send to the troops in Iraq. His mother, Dianne Clark, set out to mail them. Along the way, however, she found her own mission.
Clark called the USO to find out where to send the cards and ended up volunteering to collect needed items for servicemen and women overseas.
Sort of a one-woman band in Youngstown, Clark is the collection point for a myriad of items from toilet paper to baby wipes that are much in demand. What she collects is contributed to a volunteer group in the Cleveland area.
There, Sue Swider and a core of four volunteers, plus a dozen people who help box items and walk-in volunteers, ship collected products via the post office. Swider volunteers with USO of Northern Ohio in Broadview Heights.
"My husband, Jim, heard the original plea on the radio," Swider explained. "Since 9/11, my husband's had on Fox news, and when he heard the plea, he thought, they're over there taking care of us. Instead of watching TV, I want to be helping."
Shopping
The Swiders went shopping and bought power bars, candy, toilet paper and wipes, among other things. A day later, when they got a needs list, Sue went back out and bought trial-size deodorants, shampoos, conditioners -- "things we take for granted," she said.
Now she works every week at the Chagrin Falls armory, collecting, sorting, boxing and shipping. The Swiders have no sons or daughters in Iraq; their involvement is simply patriotic.
"It's really very uplifting," she said. "We've gotten letters from troops. They know people here care.
"Everyone thinks it's over, but it's not over. The guys are still there and probably will be for a few years. People are dying every day. It's not over."
It takes about two weeks for donations to make it to a soldier. Each package is sent to an individual.
"We got an e-mail request from a female soldier in a military hospital in Kuwait the other day," Sue said. "We have lots of names, but we need more stuff. The donations are not where we need them to be."
The USO, a nonprofit charitable organization, pays for all shipping. Since March, Sue said, $35,000 has been spent for delivery of the items at her collection post.
Request list
In the Youngstown area, Clark is the collection point. She can be reached at (330) 270-9670. If you'd like to make a difference like Stine, Clark and the Swiders have, and put a smile on the face of a serviceman or woman, follow the USO's request list below:
FOOD ITEMS
Gatorade, powder drink mixes (hot and cold), tea bags and coffee packets, cups of soup, Ramen Noodles, granola bars, trail mix, power bars, dried fruit, nuts (any kind), hard or chewy candy, gum (wrapped), dry cereal (individual servings), cans of applesauce (pull-top lid), Cracker Jacks, Fruit Roll-Ups, peanut butter (no larger than 12 ounces), seasonings, Tabasco (no larger than 4-ounce plastic), beef jerky.
MORALE BOOSTERS
Disposable cameras, tobacco, letter-writing material, pens, paper, envelopes (no stamps needed), small pocket notebooks, personal letters (we include them in the box, so remember your return address if you want a letter back), sunglasses, magazines (no swimsuit edition), books, local newspapers, pictures, playing cards, word puzzle books, travel-size games.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
Small bars of soap (hotel size), toilet paper, Purell (4.25 ounces), baby wipes (50 count), facial tissue (pocket size), eye drops (.05 ounce), moisture and hand lotion (travel size), shampoo and cream rinse (travel size), lip balm, sun block (small size), antiperspirants (1.7 ounces), toothbrushes, toothpaste (travel size), dental floss, shaving cream (travel size), disposal razors, combs, brushes, feminine products (individually wrapped), Gold Bond (1 ounce), petroleum jelly (3.75 ounces), powder (1.5 ounces), Noxema (2.5 ounces).
NECESSITIES
Bug lotion, gallon-size ziplock bags (keeps out sand), dryer sheets (for bugs and smell), air fresheners (for smelly tents), fly strips or swatters, laundry soap.
murphy@vindy.com